Methods, systems, and computer program products for jointly processing multiple sectors in a wireless communication network

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for jointly processing multiple sectors in a wireless communication network. In one aspect, a first antenna serving a first sector is associated with a second antenna serving a second sector for joint processing. First and second antenna data is received. A plurality of wireless users associated with at least one of the first or second antenna data to model for channel estimation is determined, including an interfering wireless user connected via a third antenna serving a third sector not currently being jointly processed with the first or second antenna data. Channel estimates are determined for the plurality of wireless users. The first and second antenna data is jointly processed. Interference from the wireless user connected via a third antenna is suppressed based on a determined corresponding channel estimate for the wireless user and other received information for the wireless user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for jointly processing multiple sectors in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 associating a first antenna serving a first sector in a wireless communication network with a second antenna serving a second sector for joint processing in the wireless communication system; 
 receiving, via the first and second antennas, respective first and second antenna data; 
 determining a plurality of wireless users associated with at least one of the first or second antenna data to model for channel estimation, the plurality of wireless users including an interfering wireless user connected via a third antenna serving a third sector in the wireless communication system not currently being jointly processed with the first or second antenna data; 
 determining channel estimates for the determined plurality of wireless users to model; 
 jointly processing the first and second antenna data, wherein jointly processing consists of at least one of jointly equalizing the first and second antenna data and jointly performing multi-user detection on the first and second antenna data; and 
 suppressing interference from the wireless user connected via a third antenna based on a determined corresponding channel estimate for the wireless user and other information for the wireless user received independent of the first and second antenna data. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein associating a first antenna with a second antenna includes associating antennas in groups based on at least one of received instantaneous power and received average power. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein associating a first antenna with a second antenna includes associating antennas in groups based on a location-based associations. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation includes determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on at least one of the first or second antenna data. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation includes determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on received scheduling information. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation includes determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on received power. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation includes determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on reference signal correlations among users. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation includes determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on channel response correlations among users. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation includes determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on reference signal correlations among users. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining channel estimates includes determining channel estimates based on Minimum Mean Square Error (“MMSE”) channel estimation. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining channel estimates includes determining channel estimates based on Least Square (“LS”) channel estimation. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 associating a first antenna with a second antenna includes associating the second antenna in multiple groups for jointly processing the second antenna data in each of the multiple groups; 
 jointly processing the first and second antenna data includes decoding a user in each of the multiple groups; and 
 combining decoded information for the user from each of the multiple groups. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the decoded information is combined using a log-likelihood ratio (“LLR”) combination method. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 associating a first antenna with a second antenna includes associating the second antenna in multiple groups for jointly processing the second antenna data in each of the multiple groups; 
 jointly processing the first and second antenna data includes decoding a user in each of the multiple groups; and 
 selecting decoded information for the user from among the multiple groups based on at least one metric. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein the at least one metric is based on at least one of signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (“SINR”), and received signal strength. 
     
     
       16. A system for jointly processing multiple sectors in a wireless communication network, the system comprising system components including:
 a grouping component configured to associate a first antenna serving a first sector in a wireless communication network with a second antenna serving a second sector for joint processing in the wireless communication system; 
 a receiver component configured to receive, via the first and second antennas, respective first and second antenna data; 
 a modeling component configured to determine a plurality of wireless users associated with at least one of the first or second antenna data to model for channel estimation, the plurality of wireless users including an interfering wireless user connected via a third antenna serving a third sector in the wireless communication system not currently being jointly processed with the first or second antenna data, and configured to determine channel estimates for the determined plurality of wireless users to model; and 
 a joint processing component configured to jointly process the first and second antenna data, wherein jointly processing consists of at least one of jointly equalizing the first and second antenna data and jointly performing multi-user detection on the first and second antenna data, 
 a interference suppression component configured to suppress interference from the wireless user connected via a third antenna based on a determined corresponding channel estimate for the wireless user and other information for the wireless user received independent of the first and second antenna data, 
 wherein at least one of the system components includes at least one electronic hardware component. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16  wherein the grouping component is configured to associate a first antenna with a second antenna by associating antennas in groups based on at least one of received instantaneous power and received average power. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16  wherein the grouping component is configured to associate a first antenna with a second antenna by associating antennas in groups based on a location-based associations. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation by determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on at least one of the first or second antenna data. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation by determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on received scheduling information. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation by determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on received power. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation by determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on reference signal correlations among users. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation by determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on channel response correlations among users. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine a plurality of wireless users to model for channel estimation by determining the plurality of wireless users to model based on reference signal correlations among users. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine channel estimates by determining channel estimates based on Minimum Mean Square Error (“MMSE”) channel estimation. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 16  wherein the modeling component is configured to determine channel estimates by determining channel estimates based on Least Square (“LS”) channel estimation. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the grouping component is configured to associate a first antenna with a second antenna by associating the second antenna in multiple groups for jointly processing the second antenna data in each of the multiple groups; and 
 the joint processing component is configured to jointly process the first and second antenna data by decoding a user in each of the multiple groups and to combine decoded information for the user from each of the multiple groups. 
 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 27  wherein joint processing component is configured to combine the information using a LLR combination method. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the grouping component is configured to associate a first antenna with a second antenna by associating the second antenna in multiple groups for jointly processing the second antenna data in each of the multiple groups; and 
 the joint processing component is configured to jointly process the first and second antenna data by decoding a user in each of the multiple groups to select decoded information for the user from among the multiple groups based on at least one metric. 
 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 29  wherein the at least one metric is based on at least one of SNR, SINR, and received signal strength. 
     
     
       31. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, executable by a machine, for jointly processing multiple sectors in a wireless communication network, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:
 associating a first antenna serving a first sector in a wireless communication network with a second antenna serving a second sector for joint processing in the wireless communication system; 
 receiving, via the first and second antennas, respective first and second antenna data; 
 determining a plurality of wireless users associated with at least one of the first or second antenna data to model for channel estimation, the plurality of wireless users including an interfering wireless user connected via a third antenna serving a third sector in the wireless communication system not currently being jointly processed with the first or second antenna data; 
 determining channel estimates for the determined plurality of wireless users to model; 
 jointly processing the first and second antenna data, wherein jointly processing consists of at least one of jointly equalizing the first and second antenna data and jointly performing multi-user detection on the first and second antenna data; and 
 suppressing interference from the wireless user connected via a third antenna based on a determined corresponding channel estimate for the wireless user and other information for the wireless user received independent of the first and second antenna data.